US pro-Armenian senator ends political career Following corruption conviction

US Senator Bob Menendez, who has been convicted of corruption charges and is known for his pro-Armenian stance, has announced the end of his political career by opting out of running as an independent candidate in the upcoming elections.

Bob Menendez has set August 20 as the date for his departure from the Senate, a position he has held since 2006. This information was reported by Voice of America.

Voice of America reminded readers that in mid-July, a federal jury in New York convicted Menendez of "bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstructing justice." The charges allege that Menendez used his influence in Congress to secure billions of dollars in aid for Egypt in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and payments for cars and a mortgage from three businessmen.

New York Post reported in April 2024 that all these pieces of evidence were obtained by the relevant agencies following an FBI search of a $1.2 million home. Subsequently, charges were filed against Menendez, his wife Nadine Arslanian—whom he reportedly referred to inappropriately as "Bubble" due to her décolleté—and three businessmen from New Jersey.

Last month, prosecutor Paul Monteleoni emphasised in his closing arguments that the senator played a central role in all these schemes, while Arslanian served as the "intermediary through whom the payments" for the illicit services were made. According to the US media, his sentencing is scheduled for October 29, and "he could face the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison."

This marks the end of the career of the pro-Armenian senator, who may serve as a cautionary tale for other US politicians. Many of whom have dedicated a significant part of their lives (for money) to supporting Armenia’s anti-Azerbaijani agenda.

In particular, US Congressman, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Frank Pallone has frequently condemned Azerbaijan for its "ongoing aggression" and has never addressed the issue of Armenian forces who held  Azerbaijani territories under occupation or the persistent mine terror inflicted by Armenian extremists on Azerbaijani civilians.

Mr. Pallone called for imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan and, in April 2024, advocated for rendering military assistance to Armenia.

Perhaps, “younger” US lobbyists for Armenia’s anti-Azerbaijani policy, such as Senators Benjamin Cardin and Elizabeth Warren, might draw some important lessons from this situation. These individuals urged the Pentagon not to include Azerbaijan among the countries selected to participate in US-led military exercises. Some analysts think that the Armenian lobby might be receiving support from the Washington administration, including through the White House's adoption of anti-Azerbaijani decisions.

For example, experts point to the "Armenia Protection Act of 2023" (S.3000), which suspends military aid to Azerbaijan. This legislation also proposes revoking the US president's authority to waive Section 907 of the "Freedom Support Act," which currently allows the US administration to render military aid to Azerbaijan.

European politicians are also likely to take note of the Menendez case, given their memory of the corruption scandal involving European Parliament’s former Vice President Eva Kaili. This issue received extensive coverage, so we won't dwell on it here, except to note that Kaili was also an ardent advocate for Armenian interests.

In this context, the focus isn't on the lobbying activity, which has become a part of political life. We aim to signal to interested parties that maintaining an unjust stance towards Azerbaijan will not lead to a favourable outcome. This injustice affects not only the leaders of some countries but also various politicians.

To understand this anti-Azerbaijani stance, it may be helpful to refer to remarks made in May 2024 by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico following his talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Fico described Azerbaijan as an "exemplary country in terms of sovereignty, standing against injustice."

Perhaps, the independent stance of Azerbaijan's foreign policy is causing discontent among several leading Western nations, which have recently struggled to achieve significant success both domestically and internationally. Their tolerance, if not outright encouragement, of anti-Azerbaijani lobbying activity by pro-Armenian politicians is evident. It is evident that this affinity for Armenians is largely driven by mercantile interests. However, the unfortunate experience of Menendez and Ms. Kaili serve as a stark reminder of the potential consequences for foreign politicians who take an anti-Azerbaijani stance.

By Teymur Atayev

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their op-eds may differ from and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff.